Compatibility Arrangement
by misscap.mischief
Summary: Henceforth, it is decreed, when a female reaches the age of adulthood, she shall travel away from her birth-district, and be presented before a male chosen by the Capitol, and overall best fitted for said female, in a binding ceremony… Cato/OC ***ON HIATUS***
1. Chapter 1

_Henceforth, it is decreed, when a female reaches the age of adulthood, she shall travel away from her birth-district, and be presented before a male chosen by the Capitol, and overall best fitted for said female, in a binding ceremony…_

The towering trees of my district loom overhead as all of the of-age females board the Capitol's gleaming silver train. I had already said goodbye to all of my relatives, younger female friends, and male friends. It would be a long time before I set foot on the soft, mossy ground of District 7 again. I was now eighteen years old—the age in which the Capitol matched me up with a man. Unfortunately, that man was not living in my district.

I hear the quiet hiss of the automatic door closing, and the Peacekeepers lead all of us into a dining car. We remain silent, only picking at the delectable Capitol food.

"How long do you think it will take to get to all of the districts?" my long-time friend, Laurel Redpath, asks after awhile.

"I'm not sure," I answer just as softly. Suddenly, the door to the dining car slides open, and a Peacekeeper walks in.

"We have arrived in District 8," he says in a robotic voice. "Valeria Fairbain, Persei Galloway, and Orchid Jardine, please come with me," I see three shaky looking girls stand up and look at each other. I recognize Valeria. She and I picked berries together for our families, and we walked to the market together every other Sunday. They follow the Peacekeeper out the door, and it hisses shut behind them.

"Well, to one district it only took around forty minutes," Laurel states, curling her legs up under her dress. I can only nod in response. We reach District 12 by nightfall, and neither Laurel nor I have been called to get off the train. A Peacekeeper enters the car shortly after dinner was served, and shows us to separate rooms that we would be sleeping in for the night. Laurel was around four doors down from me, I lay in the bed provided by the Capitol, and think about what my future husband would be like. Would he be rich? Handsome? Abusive? Thoughts of this nature swam through my head as I desperately grasped the concept of sleep. When I finally fell into a fretful slumber, it was nearly two in the morning. It felt like only seconds after I closed my eyes when someone banged on my door rudely, announcing that it was time to get up, and that we would be arriving in District 1 soon enough. After dressing and braiding my long, dark cherry colored hair over my shoulder, I followed the remaining girls back into the dining car.

"Are you alright?" I hear Laurel whisper.

"Fine," I reply curtly. The Peacekeeper from yesterday comes into the car right after I finish my meager breakfast of fruit, as I could not stomach anything else.

"Otillie Elphinstone, Sagitarria Erwin,Terra Keene**, **Briar Ogilby, Eunia Rankine, and Delphi Rollo, please come with me," the six girls rise from their chairs and follow the man dressed in white. There are only nine girls left on the train, including Laurel and I. The train shoots off again, and sooner than expected, we stop. All of the girls are quiet except for two girls in the corner of the car who look related. I twirl a spoon around between my fingers while Laurel finishes redoing my brain for the third time. We both look out the window at District 2: the stonemason district. All of the buildings are made of rock, and there is a forest on the edge of the other side of the city. I can see small village houses on the outskirts of the city, but anyone with eyes can see the District 2 is mostly skyscrapers with ominous trees in the distance.

"Blythe Roxen," my head whips around as I hear my name being called in the robotic voice. I wait to stand, but no other names are called. Laurel wraps me in a tight hug before I stand up. "Please come with me," the Peacekeeper commands. I follow him on quivering legs, and I pull at the skirt of my dark green dress. We reach the doors of the train, and they slide open with a familiar hiss. Metal stairs are lowered from the floating transport; the Peacekeeper walks out first. The sun blinds me slightly when I walk out to see a car waiting for me. A different Peacekeeper opens the back door for me, and hurries around to the driver's side. I ease myself into the backseat, clutching my hands together tightly, making my knuckles turn white.

"We have arrived Miss Roxen," this Peacekeeper politely says. I nod slightly, and look out the window. An enormous stone cottage towered over me. It looked to be around three stories. I look around to find that we are quite far from the city, only about a mile from the forest that looked so inviting. "Mister Hadley should arrive in a few moments with the key. Would you like me to stay and wait for him with you?" the strange Peacekeeper kindly offered.

"N-no thank you. I'm sure h-he'll be right along," I decline with a wobbly voice. The Peacekeeper nodded, got into the car, and drove the other way without a second glance. I look at my surroundings, and decide to explore. The door was most definitely locked, and I had no clue as to how to pick one. There was a small garden in front of the massive house. There seemed to be several herbs, and multiple flowers planted in there. I circled the house, examining the walls and roof. Everything seemed to be made of stone. I sincerely hoped that the floors in the house were wooden or at least covered in rugs. The cottage had a wrap-around porch made of painted stone. The entire house was painted a dark brown, and the porch a dark red. The yard behind the house was completely empty except for a small spring that ran from the front yard to the back. I made my way back to the front steps, and sat on a small, surprisingly wooden porch swing. The wood creaked, and I grasped my bare arms as a chilly breeze blew across the land. I cursed slightly as I remembered that all of my clothes and personal belongings were probably just inside the house, delivered by the Peacekeepers just a day ago. My eyelids drooped. I was quite tired from going to bed so late, and having to wake up so early. Soon enough, I fell asleep on the porch swing, locked out of my own house.

"Ma'am! Excuse me, ma'am!" I was jostled awake by a large hand shaking my shoulder, and a deep voice calling me to attention. My eyelids slid open to reveal a handsome blonde man with sparkling blue eyes. "Who are you, and why are you asleep on my porch?" the man asked in a slightly stern tone.

"M-mister Hadley?" I ask shakily.

"Yes, who are you? I don't want what you are selling," he said.

"I'm quite sorry, s-sir. I am not selling anything. My name is Blythe Roxen, and the Peacekeepers were supposed to contact you. I-I'm sorry to inconvenience you, but…" I trailed off as a look of realization came to his face.

"Oh, shit. Shit, I'm so sorry. I completely forgot. Come on. Let's get you inside. You must be freezing," he pulled out a ring of keys from his jacket pocket. He opened the door quickly and motioned for me to go inside first. I stood up, still shaky at the encounter with my future husband. We enter the huge abode, and I look around while he sheds his jacket and throws it over the staircase railing. As expected, my two small suitcases are sitting right inside the door. "Is um… is this all you brought?" he asked.

"It's all I h-had," I stutter embarrassedly. I look down at my feet as I am scrutinized by this incredibly attractive man.

"I'm sorry. It was wrong for me to assume you were from around here," he says. Tears flood my eyes when I am reminded of my home that I left behind. I was standing in a house, _my _house, with a complete stranger that I am expected to marry, and I didn't have anyone with me. Not one girl got off the train with me, and my parents and siblings were back in District 7, probably worried sick about me. I wipe my eyes quickly.

"That's quite alright," I finally say something without stuttering.

"Do you want something to eat? Drink? I'm sure you want to change," he says. If he noticed my tears, he didn't say anything. I shake my head dejectedly. My appetite was far away. There was no way I could stomach anything and not have it come back up right away. "Oh, right. You're probably tired. Um… I'll show you your room," he told me awkwardly. He grabs my two light suitcases and heads up the stairs. I nod and follow him up the spiraling staircase. We stop at the second floor and make a left. He opens the first door on the right and leads me in. "Well, the bathroom is across the hall. I'll be in the kitchen…" he trails off, and starts to leave the room.

"Thank you," I tell him softly.

"It's no problem. I mean we are… well, we'll talk in the morning," he stops himself before he says 'married'. I nod, and he leaves the room. I promptly collapse on the bed in a fit of tears. I cry myself to sleep, thinking of how I do not even know the man's name.

* * *

**A/N: Well, first story, first chapter, first, first, first. I'm not really sure how this is going to work, or if anyone will read this, but hey, worth a shot right? If you are reading this, first, virtual** **chocolate chip peanut butter cookies for you! Second, leave me a review and tell me what you thought. Completely boring? Worth adding a few more chapters? The most mind-blowing thing you have ever read, and you want me to sign your laptop? **

**-Miss Cap**

**x**


	2. Chapter 2

I wake to the sound of birds chirping, pans clattering, and several muffled voices. Snuggling back into my blankets, I realize that the blankets I am cuddling into are not my own. My eyes shoot open, and I sit up quickly. All of yesterday's events come back to my memory in a rush, and I put my face in my hands. Something sticky comes off my face, and I then notice that I haven't taken an inch of my face makeup off from yesterday. I was still in my dress, now crumpled and full of wrinkles. Taking matters into my own hands, I quickly undress and wipe off the makeup with the skirt of the dress. Throwing it aside, I make a mental note to wash it later. I unbuckle my brown suitcases and begin filling the drawers of the bureau located on the left side of the bed. I barely fill three of the eight drawers with my belongings. This depresses me deeply, and I pull out an outfit for me to wear today. As I make my way across the hall to the bathroom, the wooden floors creak beneath my feet. I cringe, and hurry along to the shower. Once I get into the shower, I realize that I have no idea how to work it.

"Damn it," I curse quietly as I inspect the multiple buttons on the wall of the shower. I step out, and experiment with the buttons, not wanting to be hit with scalding hot water or something. When I push the one in the top left corner, nothing happens. I continue to the right, pressing each button on the top row. There are ten buttons in all, and when I get to the last, water blasts down from the faucet like a torrential rainstorm. I screech in surprise, and almost fall backwards on the stone tile floor. Recovering from my minor heart attack, I make my way back to the shower where the water is still pounding into the floor. I move back to the ninth button on the top row, and discover that this is the water pressure. The hammering rain turns into a gentle downpour. I go to the ninth button in the second row, and the gentle rainfall goes to an almost intangible mist. There is barely any water, so I continue down the ninth column, discovering that the shower could go from the mist to a drizzle, then a pressurized massage setting, and then to what would be like a normal shower setting. I turn it back to the gentle rainfall, and move on to the next column. This one is the water temperature. Testing the water with my hand, I change it to a medium temperature that was slightly on the warmer side. This setting happened to be the second button. When I pressed the seventh button on the top row, small words appeared on the panel of buttons. Above the seventh column said the word 'MALE'. Then, on the buttons below it, the words were different fragrances including, 'WOODS', 'HUSKY', 'MINT', and 'CLEAN'. Briefly, the thought of what scent the man who was to be my husband used crossed my mind. I shake my head at the ridiculous thought, and continue on to the sixth column. I pressed the button, and again words appeared, this time above both the sixth and fifth columns. The word above both columns was 'FEMALE'. I smirked at the eight different fragrances designed for women. There was 'ROSES', 'SUNSHINE', 'CHERRIES', 'SULTRY', 'COFFEE', 'SUGAR', 'APPLES', and 'LAVENDER'. I make a promise to myself to try each scent. When I press the first button in the fourth column, a small tray shoots out of the wall, holding a washing sponge. Each button makes a tray shoot out, all holding a different cleaning mechanism. I push all the buttons to make the trays go back into the wall. The third column is a list of neutral oil scents for what I am assuming is both men and women. The second column is a drying component with different pressures. One is a blast of cold air that would have me dry instantly, but there is also a slow, warm setting. The last column won't do anything, no matter how many buttons I press, so I leave it alone. I get in the high-tech shower; choose the scent of 'SUGAR', a soft sponge, and moisturizing oil. I click the button that dries me off quickly, but warmly, and try to press the button in the first column again. A burst of air goes through my scalp and I look down to find my hair hanging perfectly straight on my head. The second button in the column makes my red locks go into unnaturally tight curls. The third makes them into looser curls. The fourth makes them into waves, and the fifth puts my hair up into a random updo. I press the fifth one again, and my hair is now in a braid down my back. Finally, I press the fourth button, changing my hair into soft, smooth waves, and get out of the shower. My clothing consists of normal tree climbing attire: soft, maroon cotton shirt, tight brown trousers, warm, dark green jacket, and brown lace-up boots that went to my knee. I put on my underclothes and socks first before dressing, having my teeth automatically cleaned, and leaving the bathroom.

"…on the swing. Yeah, I know!" I could hear the voices of several men downstairs. Creeping down the dizzying stairs, I followed the sound of the voices.

"What's her name?" one voice asked.

"Um… Blythe, I think. She was real quiet," I could hear the man that I met last night say.

"I'd expect so! You probably scared the girl half to death in the middle of the night," an older voice exclaimed. The voices got louder as I got nearer to them, and they finally became clear when I reached a doorframe leading into a large kitchen.

"Um, hello," I say cautiously, making myself known. The four men in the kitchen turned their heads at the sound of my voice.

"Hello there!" the older man of the group says. "Cato, you never said she was so gorgeous," he scolds the man I met last night. _Cato._ Cato Hadley. 74th Hunger Games victor, Cato Hadley. Images flashed through my brain. I watched the games just like everyone else. Cato Hadley was feared even from miles away in District 7. The way he killed mercilessly haunted my sister's nightmares for weeks. She would wake up screaming bloody murder, crying her eyes out, and saying that the 'mean Cato' was coming for her. Desireé was only four at the time, and still the Peacekeepers forced her to watch the Games. This year would have been the 78th Hunger Games, but they were terminated two years ago after a revolution that started in District 12. It began with a rebellion leaded by a friend of one of the tributes. Hawthorne something.

"Would you like anything to eat, young lady?" the older man's voice jolted me out of my thoughts. I shake my head at the joyful man, and look at the other two men in the room.

"These are my brothers, Gunner and Draven," Cato tells me.

"It's n-nice to meet you," I stutter politely. God, I have to stop stuttering!

"Oh, there's no reason to be nervous, dear. We're all family now!" the man who I was assuming is Cato's father reassures me. "My name is Kravitz," he introduces himself. I shake hands with the father of the man who killed my best friend.

"Sorry, Cato, but I have to leave. Celia wanted me to pick up Graf from school," one of Cato's brothers says.

"Yeah, I have to go too. Clammers promised me some liquor if I painted his shed," the other brother said. They both hug Cato, and leave together.

"Are you sure you don't want anything? You didn't eat last night," I finally meet the eyes of the cold hearted man who murdered Lutz. Instead of seeing the eyes of the killer, I found soft pools of blue, actually looking concerned.

"I'll leave you two," Kravitz announced loudly. "Let you get to know each other," he left the kitchen and house with a wink.

"No, I'm fine," I finally do not stutter when I find my voice.

"Right," Cato said awkwardly. "You slept in late," he commented, moving toward a cutting board loaded with a leafy looking vegetable.

"Not really," I admit, shocked that he noticed. "I was busy unpacking and figuring out your shower," I sit down on a tall stool across from where he has busied his hands with cutting.

"Oh, yeah. Kind of complicated at first. Did you figure it out?"

"Yes," I reply. We fall into another awkward silence, and I hold my breath as I prepare for what he might say next.

"What district are you from?" he asks after a few minutes.

"District 7," I reply sheepishly. I was not ashamed of my district in any way, shape, or form. However, District 2 was very close to the Capitol (which still exists despite the Revolution), and I knew that the Capitol did not like the poorer districts.

"Lumber, right?" he asked curiously. I was genuinely surprised at his interest.

"Yes, of course," I say, beginning to relax a little. "Your family seems very welcoming," I comment. An embarrassed blush clouds his cheeks before he answers.

"Yeah, just ignore Gunner if he ever says anything to you about me," he warns. I let out a small giggle, and cover my mouth to hide my smile. "Seriously! He will purposefully try to make you hate me," he says, waving a piece of the vegetable around for emphasis. "What is your family like?" Cato goes back to cutting up the leafy plant.

"Crazy," I say with another laugh. "My father's name is Felix, and he works in the woods, obviously cutting lumber," I immediately think of my father's boisterous laugh and continue. "He married my mother, Ayanna, when they were young, only teenagers. Then, they had my older brother, Ross, and then me. Then the twins came five years later, the rascals. Jax and Zander are the most mischievous boys you will ever meet," I look at him for his reaction. He has a small smile playing on his lips. "_Ever._ Finally, my youngest sister, Desireé came along, and then my parents stopped. We were one of the largest families in the district, as my Grandmother Aven also lived with us," I finish, a grin on my face now. Memories course throughout my brain, reminding me of what I left behind.

"That sounds fantastic," Cato says, still smiling.

"It wasn't the greatest at times, but I wouldn't have changed it for the world," I tell him. A comfortable silence occurs after I finish, and after about five minutes I speak again, this time in a quiet voice. "Do you mind if I have something to eat after all?"

* * *

**A/N: Ahhh! Reviews! I would personally like to thank ****_CO COSH _****and ****_music-missy _****for being the first two lovely reviewers. Also, ****_CO COSH_****, I'm really sorry that your reviews didn't show up at first, but no worries! I fixed it. Thank you for the extra long compliments, and I hope you two enjoy this chapter. Sorry if I rambled about Blythe figuring out the shower, but that's personally what I always imagined the showers to be. If you have any questions about how I arranged the Revolution, but still kept the Capitol in power, let me know in a review. Actually, just review, because I made virtual brownies with powdered sugar this afternoon. **


	3. Chapter 3

Four days have passed, and Cato and I have fallen into a comfortable routine. I would wake up, shower (for today's soap and shampoo scent I chose 'CHERRIES'.), and Cato would make breakfast for the both of us. Cato then walks to work. Even District 2 didn't have many cars. I walk with him to town, and then we would separate. Him to his job, which I still haven't found out what he does, and me to look for a job. Since I was staying here, I needed some means of making money, so I looked for places where work was offered to women. I really did not want to be a teacher, which was the most prominent female occupation. Besides, there were no openings at the local school. Then, I would walk back to the cottage and eat lunch with Cato, while talking about trivial things. We still have not brought up the subject of our impending marriage, opting for getting to know each other first. Cato would then leave again for work while I stayed in. I did things around the house such as cleaning, and organizing because like all men, Cato was not the tidiest. I also wrote in the tattered journal that I brought from home. Other than that, I did not have much to do. It was too cold for me to work in the garden for long periods of time, but after dinner I always disappeared from the house for a few hours, and walked to the forest for climbing. Climbing trees reminded me of home, in a sort of cliché way. Obviously, any type of tall tree would remind me of home, and I just wished there was some sort of lumber job offered to women in District 2. There wasn't even one offered to men.

I hated the way the Capitol designated the districts' professions. I mean, who wants to wait a whole week to get a shipment of lumber from District 7 just to have enough firewood for the district? You could just cut down a couple of trees from this forest, and be good for a few years.

Anyways, after I sat in a tree watching the sunset, I would go back to the house before it got too dark and chilly. Cato and I would talk for a little longer, and then we would go to bed. After a day of doing this exact routine, I was woken up in the middle of the night by a violent yell. Stumbling out of bed, I completely disregarded putting on a dressing gown, and ran out into the hallway in only a large shirt and shorts. Another roar pierced the air from the left, and I realized that the ferocious screaming was coming from Cato's room. I immediately assumed the worst, so I sprinted down the hall to his room and slammed the door open. I don't really know what I was expecting. Maybe a two-ton bear had gotten into the house, and just decided to saunter into Cato's room and then attack him. What I found was Cato. He was yelling and twisting around in his bed, clearly having a vicious night terror.

"Clove! No!" he suddenly screamed out. I rushed to his bedside, and put a shaky hand on his twitching shoulder.

"Cato, wake up," I tried to gently wake him, but he just turned away with another scream of 'Clove!' "Cato! Wake up, your having a nightmare!" I yelled a little too loudly. Cato jerked awake, sitting straight up with a wild look in his eyes.

"Where's Clove? I'll kill you!" he shouted in a deranged voice. He lunged at me, but I surprised myself by dodging his hands and placing my own on his shoulders.

"Cato! I'm not going to hurt you. Relax, Cato, relax," I soothed, and the feral look on his face slowly went away.

"Blythe?" he said in a confused voice.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"What happened?" I really did not want to tell him that he threatened to kill me, but I didn't want to lie to him either.

"Well, you were screaming. I ran in here to see what was wrong, and saw that you were having a nightmare. I tried waking you up, and you did. Then, well…" I trailed off, not really knowing what to say.

"Oh, no," he mumbled. He let his blonde head fall into his large hands, rubbing at his temples. "What did I say?"

"N-nothing really. Just…" I trailed off again, impulsively afraid of his reaction if I told him.

"No!" he yelled fiercely. I cringed back, clutching my hands together nervously. "What did I say to you, Blythe?" he repeated, with a more soft tone.

"You were yelling about someone named Clove, and you said that you would… that you would kill me," I told him quickly.

"Damn," he muttered. "Blythe, I didn't mean it. I'm so sorry that you had to see me like that," he apologized. My eyes widened at the sentiment. Just four years ago, this man killed the closest relation to me that wasn't my family. I could never imagine in a million years that he would apologize for threatening someone while in a delusion.

"Cato, it's fine. You didn't mean it because you were dreaming," I soothed. Hesitantly, I placed a hand on his shoulder in means of comfort. His head shot up to look at my face.

"You're not scared?" he asked in disbelief. "All of the others left so quickly," he muttered again.

"Yeah, well, I'm not like the others. They matched us up for a reason," I say defiantly. He doesn't respond. Instead, he puts his face back in his hands, and we sit in silence. I sit down on the edge of his bed slowly, not sure if he still wants me to be there. "Who's Clove?" I ask in a small voice. He looks at me through his fingers before lifting his head up to stare at me in confusion.

"Didn't you watch the Games?" it goes deathly quiet after he speaks. Recollections of being forced into the town square swarm my thoughts when he said that. I try to remember all of the things about the Games that were so unceremoniously dropped from my conscience. _Clove. Clove who? Could he mean…_ _Yes._ Cato was talking about Clove Winters, the cold and heartless murderess from his Games. Clove was Cato's district partner, killed by one of the more ruthless tributes.

"Yes," I tell him. Another silence surrounds us until he speaks again.

"I remember you," he whispers almost undetectably.

"What?"

"I remember you from the Victory Tour. When I first saw you on my porch, I was so shocked. You still have the same dark red hair. On the Tour when I saw you, you were crying so much," he whispers. My thoughts flashback to when Cato came to speak to our district. He was a great deal more arrogant than he is now, and I remember his boasting about winning. I nod to let him know that I want him to continue. "A few years later, during the Revolution, I saw you again," he says. I have another flashback to being in District 1 for the first time. Raids were happening so frequently in District 2, 6, 7, and 9 that we were evacuated to District 1. "I saw you the same way: crying," I blush a little. I know that I am a very gross crier. "To think that you were matched up with a monster like me, is so surreal," he says in a slightly angry voice.

"Cato," I say sternly. "You are not a monster,"

"Yes, I am!" he sits up straighter so that he looks down at me. "You know what I've done! You know how I killed them! They didn't deserve it!" my mind flashes to Lutz. "I am a monster, and all of Panem knows it," he finishes.

"No," I push at his shoulders and stand up. "Can't you see how much you've changed?" I ask exasperatedly. "You are one of the nicest people I know," I reassure. Granted, I don't know very many people, but I still continue. "If you were a monster, you wouldn't talk to me about your nephew the way you do! You wouldn't ask about my district if you were a monster! You wouldn't have fed me, housed me, or kept me warm. You would have left me outside on that porch, and wouldn't have even thought about letting me sleep in your house. You are not a monster, Cato. Don't ever, _ever_ think that," I conclude with a crazy wave of my hand. All of a sudden, Cato jumps up off the bed and crushes me to his chest. I barely have enough time to move my arms to the side so they aren't smashed in between our bodies.

"I don't deserve that," his voice goes back to a whisper. I wrap my arms around waist, and squeeze his middle.

"Yes, you do. Everyone should know how great of a man you are, and how great of a man you always will be,"

* * *

The next morning I meet Cato in the kitchen for breakfast. I had woken up in bed, remembering our conversation from last night.

"Good morning," I smile when I see him at the stove. Who knew such a brawny man could be so domestic?

"Morning," he gives me a toothy smile, and I sit down at the table. It's a Saturday, so Cato doesn't have to work. I'm not sure what we are going to do, as there hasn't been a day that we haven't had things to do. "Something from the Capitol came today," he remarks, setting down a plate full of hot cakes in front of me. He gestures to the unopened envelope in the center of the table. I pick it up and turn it over to see both of our names stamped on the front, and the Capitol seal on the back. I crack the seal, and pull out a letter that was machine-written. "What's it say?" Cato's voice is muffled slightly because of his mouthful of hot cake and strawberry. I smile slightly at his voice before reading the letter aloud.

"Addressed to: Cato Hadley and Blythe Roxen.

The Capitol sincerely congratulates you on your partnership," I snort indignantly at that opening statement. "There are a few rules and regulations the Capitol requests that you follow. Firstly, you must be bound by ceremony in a maximum time of one year. The ceremony must take place in the home district of the male counterpart. However, if the female counterpart wishes to have relatives visit before said ceremony, she must fill out a request form, and return it to the Peacekeeper office before the end of the month. After said ceremony is completed, the male and female will have one month in a chosen district for a "honeymoon". Another request form is also required to be filled out for this. After said "honeymoon" is completed, the male and female will have another month to decide if they are going to live in the male's birth district or the female's. Another request form is also required to be filled out for this. Both male and female are required to transport to said district by designated time. Thank you, and congratulations," I finish the letter. I put the letter down, and cut a piece of steaming hot cake before putting it into my mouth. I finally meet Cato's eyes, and see that he is finished eating already.

"What do you think?" he asks uncertainly.

"I think we have a few months to think about it," I tell him honestly. "I do want to have my family meet you before we get married," I admit quietly.

"I want to meet them, too!" he exclaims, standing up. He takes his plate and puts it in the sink, washing it off.

"What are we going to do today?" I change the subject.

"You are going to tell me where you wander off to every evening," he points his fork at me. I sigh and stand as I am finished eating.

"The forest," I admit.

"The what? Please don't tell me you just said forest," he cleans off my plate too and sets them on a rack to dry. I nod in affirmation, and hop up onto the counter, watching him clean. "It's dangerous in there. There are bears, and tigers, and-" I cut him off.

"And trees," I say.

"What do trees have to do with anything?" he asks with a furrowed brow.

"They remind me of home is all," I say, jumping off the counter and heading to the front room. I settle myself down on the sofa, knowing that Cato will follow me.

"So you just stand around the trees?" Cato falls onto the sofa, sitting beside me.

"Of course not, silly," I tease with a slight smile. "I climb the trees," I say. His eyes widen slightly.

"Do you know how big those trees are?" he asks incredulously.

"Yeah, my dad used to call me his 'Bouncy Blythey'. Said I could bounce from tree to tree without even blinking," I tell him. He doesn't speak for awhile, just looks at my branch-scarred hands with interest.

Finally, he says "Can you teach me?"

* * *

**A/N: Another chapter pumped out! I am so excited for this story! Thanks to ****_CO COSH _****and ****_EGilly_**** for reviewing. You guys are my heroes. *Wipes a tear from eye* Speaking of heroes, I want to start another fic, this time for the Avengers. I know I don't have many readers right now, but I want your opinion! Give me any suggestions on what you might want me to write about, for any genre or category. I'm always open to ideas for this story, and any stories that I write in the future. I hope you guys enjoyed this, and if you didn't, leave me a review to tell me how to make it better! **

**- Miss Cap**

**x**

**P.S. ****_CO COSH-_**** Sorry, but Katniss and all of the other tributes from The Hunger Games (except Cato) are sadly dead. Hope you're not too disappointed! I like your reviews, so if you have any ideas for this story, share!**


	4. Chapter 4

"It's really not all that difficult, Cato!" I shout down from my place high in the branches.

"Speak for yourself! You're like a damn monkey!" he screams right back. I throw my head back, and laugh a real genuine laugh.

"Come on, Cato," I say. Cato tries to get up onto the first branch, which is about eight feet off the ground. "Use those big arm muscles," I tease. He sends a smirk up at me.

"So you think my muscles are big?" his smirk grows wider when he sees my cheeks darken with embarrassment.

"You're changing the subject!" I shout.

"Alright, alright. I'm coming up. Hey!" he exclaims when he sees me climb up a few more branches, desperately trying to cool my face down. I look back down to see that Cato has made it to the second branch. "What do I do now?" he asks up at me, confused.

"You keep going," I state simply.

"It's not that easy!" he whines like a child. I sigh, and start making my way down to him.

"It's simple, Cato," I approach him. He looks at me with amazement, seeing as I just scaled an entire thirty feet in less than a minute. "Go back down to the first branch," I tell him. He moves, and I step on the branch that he was previously on. "Just follow my movements,"

"Easy for you to say," I hear him mutter. A smile spreads across my face, but I wisely choose not to make a smart retort. I start climbing back up the tree slowly, making sure that Cato is following my movements. Soon enough, we are at least twenty feet up when Cato asks to stop.

"What's the matter? Too much for a big, bad career like yourself?" I joke while settling myself on a branch close to him.

"Can you stop bringing that up?" he practically snarls. I blanch, and murmur a quick apology. I scramble up a few branches, distancing myself from the blonde. I pick at some twigs for a second before he speaks again. "I didn't mean it like that, Blythe," he sighs, and I can just see him rub a rough hand over his face. "You just… you don't know the Games," he says. A pang in my heart resonates for Lutz, and I think that now is as good as any time to tell Cato about my dead friend.

"That's what you think," I say a bit sadly.

"What are you talking about, Blythe?" his voice grows a bit in volume, and I can feel his eyes on me.

"You think that I don't know anything about the Games, but… but I do," I tell him.

"No, you don't! You weren't there, Blythe. The screaming, the agony, and I caused it!" he shouted.

"I may not have been there, but I know what that agony feels like," I say cryptically.

"How do you know?"

"Because my best friend was in the Games," there is a pregnant silence.

"Oh, shit," he hisses quietly. "I… I k-killed both… Both from seven," he says.

"I know," I tell him. He doesn't say anything, but I hear the leaves rustling from underneath me, so I look down to see Cato frantically trying to make his way up the tree to me. I don't move, waiting for him. He soon is standing on a branch facing me, and our heads are level with each other.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asks quietly.

"I was waiting for the right moment to tell you. This has all been moving so quickly, and when I saw you having your night terror, I didn't want to dump more stress on your shoulders," I tell him. He huffs angrily, and grabs my shoulders.

"I should have known this the minute you knew who I was," he says sternly.

"Why?"

"So I would have the chance to apologize right away!" he lets go of my shoulders briskly, and leans back on a branch, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"I know you aren't the same person now, Cato," I try to calm him down by pulling his arm away from his face, and holding it in my hands.

"Were you scared?" I start to say 'no' right away, but he cuts me off. "No! Tell me the truth," Cato stands up straight again. "Were you scared?"

"At first, yes," I admit. His face instantly turns angry, but I start talking again. "Then I saw how nice you were, and how you love to talk about your nephew, and how you love your brothers. It was then that I realized that you were just misguided. You were forced to believe in all of the garbage the Capitol spewed out," I rub the back of his large, calloused hand in comfort. "Don't talk down on yourself. Can't you see how much you've changed?" I repeat the same question I asked last night. Cato doesn't say a word. He just moves his head closer to me hesitantly, like he's scared of what I might do. He tilts his head to the right a little bit, and continues to move closer. He's about a centimeter away from my lips when there is a loud shout. It startles both me and Cato, but me more so. I whip my head downwards, and lose my balance before toppling right out of the tree.

* * *

**A/N: Hey, I know that this chapter is super short, but I have come to a quick conclusion about something. While I was browsing around on the site, figuring things out and whatnot, I came across the ****_Views_****. **

**I HAVE FREAKING 219 VIEWS ON THREE CHAPTERS ALONE. **

**219? Good Lord! This has made me aware that 150+ people have read my story, and I have 7 reviews. I'm not meaning to sound thirsty, but in actuality, I am. I want to know what you guys think! If you loved the chapter, tell me! If you hated it, tell me that too! I cannot continue this story without inspiration, and my inspiration is readers!**

**I hope that you understand what I am trying to say here, and do something about it. Not trying to be a bitch or anything, I just want to get a point across. **

**-Miss Cap**

**x**


	5. Chapter 5

I fell quickly through the tangles of branches, scratching my arms and face. Acting quickly, I used my instinct and grabbed onto a thick branch just as I passed it, halting my decent, and causing me to swing forward. I feel my shoulder pop out of its socket, and I land quite ungracefully on a branch close to the trunk of the tree.

"Blythe!" Cato screams down.

"I'm alright, Cato!" I yell up at him.

"Uncle Caaaaato!" I hear a small voice screech from below. Moving my head to face down, I see a young boy, and one of Cato's brothers; I forget which one.

"Cato!" I shout up.

"What? What is it? Are you hurt?" His voice sounds closer as he climbs down.

"I think someone's here to see you," I tell him as he approaches, purposefully not answering his question.

"What are you- Graf! Dray! What are you guys doing here? We weren't expecting you again until tomorrow," Cato crawls on down past me and jumps down to embrace his nephew. I slowly descend, being careful of my now dislocated shoulder.

"Yeah, well Graf couldn't wait," Draven replies. He then looks up at me, and notices how slow I am getting down. "Hey, I thought the folks in District 7 were pretty good at climbing trees," he says to me. I get down to where Cato and I had first started, and contemplate on how I should proceed.

"They are," I reply. "Just not after they've fallen twenty feet because some lunatic decided to yell up the tree," I send the smart remark at him. He smiles a perfect smile, much like Cato's, and moves to help me down.

"Yeah, well. What can you do?" he smirks and motions me to jump. I leap, and Draven catches me around the waist, settling me gently on the ground. "I'll be sure to give you a warning before I yell next time," he says.

"You better," I poke his nose, and he laughs loudly, letting go of my waist. We turn to Cato and Graf. The latter has busied himself with making a small fort made of leafs and twigs while Cato just stares at Draven and I with a heated look on his face. "Should we go back to the house?" I ask everyone while discreetly nursing my hurt shoulder. I decide to patch it up once we got back.

"Who are you?" Graf has a curious look on his slightly chubby face as he walks over to me. I lower myself down to his level.

"I'm Blythe. Who are you?" I respond with a smile on my scratched face.

"My name is Graf. You have an owie right there," he points directly to my hurt shoulder, and then at my face. "And all over your face," he says with a worried look on his face.

"What's wrong with your shoulder?" Cato is immediately at my side, helping me stand.

"Nothing, nothing," I shrug off his grasp and hold out a hand to Graf. "Do you want some sweets? Your uncle bought some just for you," I tell him. He lets out an excited shriek, and grabs my slightly scarred hand, dragging me out of the forest.

* * *

"We'll see you guys tomorrow!" Cato exclaims, swinging a giggling Graf around once more before setting him in his father's arms.

"Yeah. Everyone's coming, right?" Draven asks.

"Of course, of course," Cato replies, heading to go get their jackets.

"Bye bye, Aunty Blythe," Graf says a bit sadly. Draven lets him down, and the little bundle of energy comes soaring into my arms, jostling my still-hurt shoulder.

"It's only bye bye for now, Graf," I laugh, trying to hide my wince. He moves his head to my ear, cupping a tiny hand around his mouth to whisper.

"Get your owie fixed, Aunty Blythe," he whispers loudly in my ear. I smile, and give him a huge raspberry on his chubby cheek. He laughs childishly, and whispers in my ear again. "Give Uncle Cato a huge kiss. He hasn't had one in so long," he says.

"Whatever you say, smarty pants," I kiss his soft blonde curls with a blush clouding my cheeks. Graf heads over to Cato, who is watching the exchange with a pleased expression. Draven comes over to me and sweeps me into a gentle hug. I had become close with Cato's brother in just a few short hours. He reminded me of my own older brother, Ross.

"See you tomorrow, Aunty Blythe," he teases, letting me go. "Get that shoulder checked out, and don't think that Cato hasn't noticed. He'll be interrogating you as soon as we walk out the door," he says quietly.

"Bye," I reply simply, holding the huge door open for the two.

"See you tomorrow," Cato says to them. They depart from the house, and I close the door. "What the hell were you thinking?!" Cato asks me angrily. He yanks on my hurt arm, and I cry out, tears exploding from my eyes. Cato's face goes from angry to alarmed in half a second.

"Stop, Cato," I sob, wrenching my arm from his grip. I turn away from him, but he just pulls me back to him by my waist. I feel his large hand on my injured shoulder. Suddenly, there is an agonizing amount of pressure, and a sickening crack makes me howl in another fit of tears.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I hear Cato mutter into my hair as I sob. He turns me around carefully, and I bury my head in his chest, soaking his sweater with salty tears. Cato rubs the small of my back, trying to console me. "Shhhh, shhhh, it's alright, Blythe," he whispers. "Come on. Let's get you to bed," he smoothes down my curly red hair that had come loose from the braid the shower had put it in this morning. My sobs had now turned into soft tears, and Cato gently picks me up and heads up the stairs to the bathroom. "Can you handle a shower?" he asks me while tenderly setting me on my feet. I manage a nod, and he helps me take off my jacket. "I'll be right outside," he says before leaving me to shower.

"Ok-kay," I say, still shaky with tears. I get into the shower, and make the water scalding hot, sighing when it hits my now terribly sore shoulder. I don't really look when I pick a shampoo and soap, accidentally hitting the 'WOODS' on the men's column. I finish washing, and dry myself quickly but warmly. I step out, not bothering with a hairstyle, leaving my dark cherry hair curly, and slightly on the frizzy side. It hits me that I do not have any clothes to change into when I spot a small pile just inside the door that Cato must have left. I blush while putting on my undergarments, but shrug it off and pull on the large blue shirt that had been my father's, and slip on the short black shorts. Finally, I tug on the unfamiliar white socks. _Cato's probably. _The tall white socks are huge on my feet, but I leave the bathroom in them, seeing Cato sitting right outside the door, as promised. I see that he has showered as well, now dressed in a white shirt and large grey cotton pants.

"I couldn't find any socks for you, so I gave you some of mine," he says.

"Thank you," I say quietly.

"I'm taking off on Monday, and we are going to get you more clothes," he demands while swooping me up into his arms and carrying me across the hall into my room.

"Cato, I don't have a job, so I don't have any mon-" Cato cuts me off with a finger to my lips.

"It doesn't matter, Blythe," he says. I move to protest, but stop with a look from him. We fall into silence as he sets me down on my bed. I get under the dark red blankets, and snuggle down into the pillow. I feel the bed dip on my left as Cato sits next to me, propping up my other pillow against the headboard. "Who was your friend?" Cato asks suddenly.

"My friend?" I ask, confused.

"The one in the Games," he confirms.

"Cato, we don't have to talk about this," I lay a hand on his forearm.

"No, I want to," he speaks firmly. "Who was she?"

"It was the he actually," I correct. I continue, turning to face him. "His name was Lutz Hockhart, and we had been best friend since we were around seven," I say. Cato's face shows no emotion, just a calculating look as I speak. "Our families were really close, and when he got reaped… it tore us apart," I said. Cato looked confused. "The twins had actually just turned twelve the day before the reaping, and well…" I took a deep breath. "Zander was actually the one who was reaped. Lutz-" Cato cut me off.

"Volunteered for him," he verified. I nodded, and Cato hung his head. I push up his chin so that he is still looking at me.

"Do you want to stop talking about it or…?" I trailed off.

"No, I want to know everything," he tells me.

"Ross couldn't volunteer. He was twenty-one by that time, and it was my last reaping," I say. "Lutz was so brave. He knew," I tell Cato.

"He knew what?"

"He knew he was going to die. He told me so," I explain. "I cried for weeks, months maybe. Lutz was such a huge part of my life. I thought I couldn't live without him," I look at Cato, who had possibly the guiltiest look on his face that I have ever seen. I sit up, and face Cato with my legs crossed underneath me. "But I feel better now. I know that he's here with me," I lay my hand on Cato's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. He suddenly pulls me into a tight embrace.

"I promise," he whispers into my neck.

"What?" I whisper right back.

"I promise that I will spend the rest of my life making this up to you,"

* * *

**A/N: Yes! You guys ROCK! Thank you so much, ****_CO COSH, Guest #1, Guest #2, Eve, Alice, kb5000, and Mini-jaimey _****for reviewing! And holy crap, 406 views?! I am simply astounded. **

**I hope that you guys like the direction I am going with this story, and if you have any suggestions, again feel free to leave me any type of review. I am completely open to criticism. How do you feel about this chapter? Blythe and Cato are getting closer, and Blythe is about to meet Cato's entire family! Again, thank you for the reviews. Keep it up! **

**HAPPY CHRISTMAS, LOVELIES!**

**-Miss Cap**

**x**


	6. Chapter 6

I was panicking. Seriously, panicking. Today was Sunday. Today was also the day that Cato had invited his _entire _family to lunch and dinner. I am not talking about his father, mother, brothers, and their wives and kids. I'm talking about fully-fledged aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, grandparents, godparents. Literally, _everyone_ was coming. Right now, Cato was downstairs setting everything up. Apparently, he had some picnic tables in the basement, and had set those up outside. It was a surprisingly warm October day today. When I walked outside before breakfast, there was a slight breeze, but the temperature stayed constant at seventy-one degrees.

"Blythe! They're going to be here in an hour. Why aren't you dressed?" Cato appeared in my doorway, watching me examine my half-filled bureau with distaste. I was currently dressed in one of Cato's robes that he'd lent me, my hair perfectly styles in waves.

"I don't exactly have anything suitable to wear, Cato," I snapped, slamming the top drawer shut.

"Wear anything, Bly. This isn't a big deal," Cato rolled his azure eyes at my dramatics.

"It's a _huge_ deal, Cato!" I practically screamed. "I'm meeting your family for the first time, and my clothes are so run down. You know what they'll think of me!"

"Stop it, Blythe," Cato said firmly as he came to stand in front of me. Tears flooded my vision. Suddenly, I had the urge to punch and kick and scream and just _sob. _

"I can't do this!" I stood up, ready to run.

"No!" Cato smashed his hands into my shoulders when I tried to sprint past him. My previously hurt shoulder ached fiercely, but didn't smart as it had the night before.

"Let me go this instant," my voice became deadly. "You cannot tell me what to do, and I do not want to do this, Cato. You. Can't. Make. Me," I enunciated each word with a push on his chest, which obviously did nothing.

"I'm not going to make you do anything, Blythe," his voice goes soft, now holding my shoulders gently. "But, they are so excited to meet you, my mother especially. I don't want you to back out now," he says.

"You don't get it, Cato. You live in this big house, and from what you've told me, the rest of your family is good with money as well. I'm not used to this. I'm _poor_, Cato. I've grown up poor. I've lived as a poor person. I had no idea how to act around your father when I met him. He had all of these metal accessories, and fancy clothes, and was just _dripping_ wealth. I've no clue as how to act, Cato," I finish. He says nothing. He just moves away from me, and over to my dresser. Opening the top drawer, he pulls out one of my many maroon sweaters. It is an overall loose-fitting sweater, slightly swallowing my small frame. He placed it on my bed before moving to the second drawer which contained my under garments. Cato pulled out a black bra with matching underwear, and a black sleeveless shirt. He then moved on to the last drawer, and pulled out a pair of tight fitting black trousers. Placing them all on the bed, he picked up the only pair of shoes besides my dress shoes and my brown lace up boots: my black lace up boots.

"Act like yourself. They will love you," Cato places a gentle kiss on my forehead, and promptly leaves the room, leaving a burning mark on my face.

After dressing, I made my way downstairs, and made myself useful by moving all of the unfamiliar snack foods outside. I laid down a plate of hard bread and cheeses when I heard voices from inside. Making sure that my back was facing the door leading out to the yard, I continued piling one of the picnic tables high with food.

"Aunty Blythe!" a hard force knocked roughly into the back of my thighs, making me fly forward, and land facedown in the grass.

"Be careful, Graf!" a woman's voice calls out. Graf immediately turns me over on my back and sits on my stomach.

"Aunty Blythe! We're going to have so much fun today! I wanted to come over sooner, but Mommy said no," an adorable pout appeared on his lips. I sat up so that he slid into my lap. Grasping him under his armpits, I hoisted Graf into the air, spinning us around until we collapsed in a fit of giggles.

"Graf!" a tall woman appeared. She had a stern look on her pale face, and her blonde hair was in a braid slung over her shoulder.

"Mommy! This is Aunty Blythe, Uncle Cato's wife!" Graf said excitedly. A blush formed on my cheeks at the mention of my soon to be husband.

"Hey!" "Don't touch that!" "They're in the backyard!" Male voices drifted from the house, and a pounding of footsteps exuded as they clambered out to the yard. Cato led the pack, a triumphant smile on his face when he spotted me. The large group made its way over to us, and the blonde woman was still glowering at her grinning son.

"So this is the wife," a tall, muscular man that had laugh lines around his mouth said. He grabbed my forearm and dragged me up, immediately putting me in a circle made of men. They were all blondes. I felt so out of place with my dark red hair. I could see several blonde women outside the circle, speaking amongst themselves. There was a total of nine men, and four women.

"Um, well, you see-" I start talking, but tallest one cut me off mid-sentence.

"Cato's told us all about you!" he exclaims. "Blythe the tree climber, Draven says," he continues with a loud laugh.

"Give her some room, you brutes," the previously mentioned blonde woman pushed through the circle with Graf on her hip. "Hi, I'm Celia," she smiles at me, the glower now gone.

"Blythe," I breathe out.

* * *

It was now around eight at night, the sun long gone. I had been introduced to Cato's entire family. All of his cousins were male, Etch who was seventeen, Gosner who was twenty-six, and Kyle who was twenty-nine. Etch was the son of Cato's Aunt Rosette and Uncle Gable, who was Kravitz' brother. Gosner and Kyle were brothers, their mother and father being Cato's Aunt Chartruse and Uncle Edner, who was Cato's mother's brother. Cato's mother was a very beautiful woman by the name of Claire, which Cato tells me was a popular name before even Capitol times. Claire was, of course, married to Kravitz, and their sons were Cato, Gunner, and Draven. Draven was married to Celia, and they had Graf, the only young child in the family. Cato's two sets of grandparents arrived later in the gathering, at around six. Kravitz' mother was Lisemeth, and her husband was Peter (another name from before Capitol times). Claire's father was Netra and his wife was Laurel, just like my friend from home. Everyone seemed very nice, except for Cato's Uncle Edner. He was a very condescending man, and even tried to make me do all the washing after dinner. Cato says he was in the Rebellion, and it was very hard on him. Other than that, I warmed up to everyone nicely, and I wondered why I ever felt so worried.

"Come inside, Aunty Blythe. Uncle Cato's making hot chocolate," Graf came outside to inform me. Everyone had moved inside because of the biting wind that had picked up. Graf grabs my hand and pulls me through the door to the living area, where everyone has situated themselves. I sat in silence beside Cato, who was laughing at something Kyle had said. Everyone drank their hot chocolate in delight, and for the first time since I came to District 1, I have never felt more at home.

* * *

"Trust me, Cato's horrible in bed. He turns a nasty shade of green at even the sight of-"

"Good_bye_, Gunner!" Cato forced his grinning brother out the front door. Finally, the last person left the house, leaving behind a plethora of garbage to be cleaned up. Namely, Gunner.

"We'll just worry about it tomorrow, Cato. I'm tired," I yawn on cue, and start making my way towards the stairs.

"You know those things Gunner said are completely untrue," he says, following me. I laugh quietly, spinning my way up the stairs.

"Yes, Cato. I know," I say.

"Good," he follows me to my door, and I turn to face him.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow. You're taking me shopping, remember," I say.

"Yes," we don't say anything for a minute. "Bly," he says.

"Yeah?" He doesn't answer me, and for a split-second, I think he's just going to walk away. Instead, he takes my hand in his larger one, and pulls me into him. I crash into his chest just as he lowers his head, and smothers his lips on my own. It takes me a moment to respond, but when I do, it feels like my whole body is being struck by lightning. Our lips move together, and I feel my knees begin to weaken. Girls always talked about this feeling, but I've never really believed them, not experiencing it myself until this very moment. Cato's muscular arms slip around my waist, and I step up onto his feet. Then, I put myself on the tips of my toes, attempting to make myself taller in order to get more access to his lips. The kiss is cut off far too soon, both of us breathing hard.

"I've been waiting to do that," he breathes. I attempt a smile, but I am still dazed from his kiss. Cato grins, and leans down to kiss my forehead, then both of my cheeks, then the tip of my nose, and my chin, until finally he reaches my mouth again. I stop us this time, stepping off his feet.

"Goodnight, Cato," I smile, closing my bedroom door. Before I lose my courage, I open the door again, and pull on his collar, forcing Cato into another passionate kiss. I pull away, rushing to close the door, and then slide down to the floor, touching my lips.

* * *

**A/N: Hey, guys! Sorry that it's been a few days. Thank you for the reviews about the last chapter. Tell me if you like this one! I had a hard time with the kissing scene (OH MY LORD THEY FINALLY KISSED). Do you think I did alright?**

**I am seriously contemplating starting a new story soon. I love writing OC romance stories, but I am not opposed to attempting some pairings, or something that isn't romance. Do you have any suggestions about which categories you guys like? Let me know, so I can get started!**

**Don't worry, I will NEVER give up on this story.**

**-Miss Cap**

**x**


	7. Chapter 7

"Open up!" I was awoken by a vicious banging noise from downstairs. Half-awake, I stumbled down the stairs and to the front door, which was probably bent in the middle from the passionate knocking.

"How may I hel- hey!" ten Peacekeepers knocked me off my feet by barging in the door.

"What is going on here?" I could hear Cato's voice bellow above the racket, but I couldn't see him through the white mass that was the Peacekeeper uniform.

"Cato Hadley," one Peacekeeper stepped up to my towering, shirtless fiancé. "Blythe Roxen," he turned to me. "You are hereby placed under quarantine by the Capitol until further notice," he says. A nearby Peacekeeper hauled me roughly to my feet, placing straining plastic cuffs around my wrists.

"Don't touch her!" Cato snarled through the loudness. I could see that he was also clearly bound, and having to be restrained by three huge Peacekeepers.

"You can't do this! We have rights!" I exclaimed, struggling against my bonds.

"Let us go!" Cato's voice was the last thing I heard before something sickeningly sweet was forced down my throat, and I caved into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Blythe," I could see a blurry image of Lutz right above me, his mouth moving, but not speaking any words. Suddenly, Lutz' black hair was flooded with light, and started oozing into a blond color. His always disturbingly purple eyes changed into glistening blue irises, shining with affection. The pale complexion that I always associated Lutz with turned slowly tan, and his jaw line became more defined. "Please wake up, baby," Baby? Lutz never called me 'baby'. My eyes popped open. "Oh, thank God," Lutz voice was replaced with a deeper one. Cato's voice.

"C-Cato?" I stuttered.

"Yes, yes, it's me," he helped me into a sitting position. I looked at our surroundings.

"Where the hell are we?" We were in a huge room, complete with chrome furniture, and shiny finishes.

"The Capitol," Cato practically growled out. We were in the Capitol?

"Why did those Peacekeepers come this morning?" I ask.

"No idea. Some guard said that someone would be coming to get us after you woke up," Cato's voice wavered. "I… I didn't think you would wake up," he says softly. I pulled him into a tight embrace.

"We'll get this figured out," I used the same line Ross always used. Suddenly, the chrome door to our room burst open, and two Peacekeepers filed in, along with a dark skinned man behind them.

"Leave us," the man said to the Peacekeepers. They left, slamming the door behind them. Cato stood from the couch we were both perched on, standing protectively in front of me. I would like to say that he was doing a fine job, as he still didn't have a shirt on. "Greetings, Mister Hadley," the man smiled at Cato, and sat down in a chair across from the couch. "Please, sit," he said. The tone of his voice left no room for question, and Cato lowered himself back onto the couch. Cato quickly grasped my tiny hand in his large one, squeezing it comfortingly.

"Who are you," Cato stated, his voice firm.

"Why I'm Renwick Duncain," he said obviously. "And you are Cato Hadley, and Blythe Roxen," Duncain peered around Cato's massive chest to try to look at me. I cower into Cato's back muscles, tightening my grip on his hand.

"What do you want?" Cato inquiries.

"Just some answers, of course," he replies. I shudder at the silky truthfulness in his voice. "Mister Hadley," he begins. "You have only known Miss Roxen for about a week, yes?"

"Yes," Cato answers.

"It seems as if you have developed a strong bond already," Duncain comments.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Cato asks heatedly. I can feel his muscles tightening, like a taut spring ready to launch from the ground. I run a small hand over his back, trying to get him to loosen up. Cato lets out a silent exhale as he calms down.

"Nothing, nothing. Tell me, Mister Hadley, about where you live," Duncain requests.

"District 2," Cato replies automatically. "The outskirts," he adds.

"Yes, I was wondering about that. Why do you not live in the Victor's Village with the other Hunger Games victors?" Renwick asks.

"It was not required to live there, and did not feel like home, so I did not," Cato says.

"Interesting," Ducain murmurs. "What about around your house? Do you have neighbors?"

"No. The only thing remotely close to my home is the only forest in District 2," Cato says.

"Ah, yes," Ducain nods as if remembering something. "Thank you, Mister Hadley," Ducain stands. He makes his was over to the couch. Cato stands up, and shakes the man's hand. "Miss Roxen," Ducain bows to me, before taking his leave. The door clicks shut behind him, but there is no turn of the lock.

* * *

**A/N: Hello, loyal readers! It's been far too long. I know I haven't written in awhile (two months!). How was your New Year? Mine has been so busy, with high school soccer tryouts, clinics, camp, indoor soccer, and also a new semester of school. These are some of the many reasons I haven't updated in awhile. Another is: my computer crashed. Everything was erased, and I haven't gotten around to getting a new laptop until this past weekend. In other news, the Capitol is back! What do you think is going on? This chapter is quite short, just a teaser really. Just a taste of what could be. I'm planning on developing the romance between our two favorite lovebirds, and also getting some new characters involved in the action. (Don't worry. I hate love triangles.) There might me some moving of districts, unveiled secrets, even a character you don't expect! It all depends on you guys. If you give me suggestions, I'll be able to update more, and hey. Everyone loves that. Let me know what you guys want to see in a review or a PM. I have big plans for this story, big plans!**

**-Miss Cap**

**x**

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	8. An Author's Note: To My Lovely Readers

**A/N: **

Hey, guys. Wow, it's been awhile. So, I'm going to get straight to the point. I currently have no inspiration for _Compatibility Arrangement._ I have had writer's block for that story for over a month now, and I have no idea how to continue the story. It's horrible, and now that I'm on spring break, I can take a few days to think it over. For now, the story is on hiatus. If you have ideas, leave them in the reviews, as that would help a lot.

In other news, I have began quite a few new stories including the movie Sky High, Lord of the Rings trilogy, a very, very crappily written Harry Potter fic (that is in current editing), and one based on the movie, Miracle. I'm planning on seeing the X-Men movies very soon, so expect an update about that as well.

I know you're disappointed about _CA_, but if you leave me reviews, or PM me letting me know what you guys want, you could spark some instantaneous inspiration, and it will be up and running again! Also, let me know what you think about my other upcoming fics. I'll keep you posted.

**Lots of lovely loving,**

**Miss Cap.**


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